Sstriker Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich has reached the football Olympus for the second time in a row. As in 2020, the 33-year-old Polish international was voted World Player of the Year on Monday. Lewandowski prevailed against record winner Lionel Messi from Paris St. Germain and Liverpool’s Egyptian exceptional player Mohamed Salah at “The Best FIFA Football Awards” gala. When the traditional Ballon d’Or was awarded in November, Messi landed ahead of Lewandowski.
“Everything that happened last year, the Bundesliga record, I would never have dared to dream of it. If you had told me that a few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it,” said Lewandowski after his second World Player award.
Last season, the Munich goalscorer broke the “eternal” Bundesliga season record of the legendary “bomber” Gerd Müller from the 1971/72 season with 41 goals. In the 2021 calendar year, too, with a total of 43 goals, he was one goal better than Müller in 1972. Last year, Lewandowski was the first professional from the Bundesliga to receive the world footballer’s honor. The only German winner at the premiere in 1991 was Lothar Matthäus (Inter Milan). In 2020, Lewandowski triumphed in front of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The coaches of all national teams, their captains, one journalist from each country and the fans are entitled to vote in the election of the world association FIFA.
Previously, Thomas Tuchel was named World Coach of the Year 2021. The team manager of Champions League winners FC Chelsea prevailed against Roberto Mancini from European champions Italy and Pep Guardiola from Manchester City. “It’s been a very normal day so far, I’ve just come from training, but now you said my name,” said Tuchel, who was connected via video, to Arsène Wenger, who honored him. “It’s pretty surreal, I’m overwhelmed and I’m a little uncomfortable.” Tuchel took over Chelsea just over a year ago and won the premier class with the London club.
Thomas Tuchel is Fifa World Coach 2021
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Image: dpa
The previous winners of this award were Claudio Ranieri (2016), Zinedine Zidane (2017), Didier Deschamps (2018) and Jürgen Klopp (2019 and 2020). The women’s title went to Emma Hayes, also from Chelsea.
Manuel Neuer missed first place
Spain’s Alexia Putellas has been voted World Player of the Year. The 27-year-old prevailed against her team-mate in the national team and at FC Barcelona, Jennifer Hermoso (31), as well as against the Australian Sam Kerr (28) from Chelsea. Barcelona beat Chelsea 4-0 in the Champions League final last summer and Putellas had already been voted Europe’s best player.
Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy beats Manuel Neuer to be 2021 World Goalkeeper of the Year.
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Image: dpa
Lewandowski’s Bayern team-mate Manuel Neuer, on the other hand, missed his second FIFA World Goalkeeper of the Year award. Tuchel’s Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy was chosen, and European champion Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain) also made it to the final. Neuer had won the election for 2020 after Bayern’s triple triumph.
National player Christian Eriksen was awarded the FIFA Fair Play Prize, and the medical staff of the Danish football team are after the drama surrounding the star player. Eriksen collapsed on the pitch on June 12, 2021 during the European Championship group match between Denmark and Finland in Copenhagen and had to be revived.
Meanwhile, the visibly shocked Denmark internationals formed a protective circle around their team-mate. After the dramatic scenes on the lawn, the all-clear came later in the evening. The supporters of Denmark and Finland received the FIFA Fan Award for their compassionate and appropriate response during the match. A defibrillator has now been fitted to Eriksen, the midfielder wants to stay on the pitch and hopes to take part in this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
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